Glossary C

Comparative psychology refers to the branch of psychology that studies the behaviours of a variety of organisms in an attempt to understand the adaptive and functional significance of the behaviours and their relation to evolution

comparative treatment research refers to outcome research that contrasts two (2) or more treatment methods to determine which is most effective.

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Comparator is defined as a structure hypothesized by the Corollary discharge theory of movement perception. The corollary discharge signal and the sensory movement signal meet at the Comparator to determine whether movement will be perceived.

Comparison is defined as the effect when an individual working on a task compares his or her performance with that of another person performing the same task.

Comparison design refers to an experimental design comparing the baseline condition with the treatment condition. It rules out individual differences but not time coincidences.

Comparison group refers to a group that is exposed to all the conditions of a study except for the variable being tested

Comparison level refers to people's expectations about the level of rewards and punishments they are likely to receive in a particular relationship

Comparison level (CL) is a term used in Kelley and Thibaut's 1978 Interdependence model, the minimum outcome level one finds satisfactory. In John Thibaut and Harold Kelle's Social exchange theory, the standard by which the individual evaluates the quality of any social relationship. In most cases, individuals whose prior relationships yielded positive rewards with few costs will have higher CLs than those who experienced fewer rewards and more costs in prior relationships.